PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado Mesa utilized a miracle finish to remain unbeaten on the 2023 season, scoring two goals just 37 seconds apart in the game's final four minutes to stun the Cal State San Bernardino Yotes 2-1 in a Friday afternoon neutral-site match.
Haley Klasner scored with three-and-a-half minutes to play, and moments later,
Sauvelyne Randel was fouled in the box and rocketed the penalty kick into the bottom left corner to put the Mavs in front. It was Randel's second spot kick goal in as many matches and Klasner's second point of the season after tallying an assist in the season opener.
Prior to the late tallies, the story of the game was shaping up to be CMU's inability to create a decisive goalscoring chance despite having most of the ball all game long. The Mavericks outshot CSUSB 15-5, with seven attempts on target compared to the Yotes' four, but were on the outside looking in until the game's final moments.
Making her second straight start,
Keely Wieczorek made three more saves and improved to 2-0 in her career as a goalie. The Mavs' center back pairing of
Ally Wachtel and
Kaydree Rapp both played the full 90 minutes for the second consecutive game.
The Yotes took the lead in the 52
nd minute with a strike from Nathaly Losada Lucumi. It was Lucumi's second goal of this season in three games after leading the team with six last year. The Mavericks had plenty of chances, with
Adessa Correa tallying four shots and
Abby Fotheringham and
Mikayla Eccher putting two shots apiece on target, but CSUSB goalkeeper Leila Peregrina saved the first five shots on goal that came her way.
Disaster struck for the Yotes with under five minutes to play. As CSUSB attempted to pass the ball around their back line and run out the clock, a Yotes defender had her leg give out with an apparent cramp, causing her to lose possession. Klasner ran onto the ball and found herself with a one-on-one opportunity against the keeper. The Second Team All-Region midfielder from last season kept her composure and put the ball past Peregrina on the ground into the bottom right corner.
Sensing they had the momentum, the Mavericks immediately pushed forward to take the lead. Rapp sent a deep ball forward into the Mavs' offensive zone that ricocheted off a Yotes defender.
Mikayla Eccher won a race to the ball and toe-poked it to
Adessa Correa, who chipped a beautiful pass over the top that put Randel through streaking towards goal.
Randel was clattered into from behind by a Yotes defender and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Randel stepped up for her second penalty kick attempt in as many matches and froze the goalkeeper while burying a strike into the left hand inside netting.
The sudden turnaround enables CMU to remain unbeaten in the still-young 2023 campaign, with their record moving to 2-0 overall. The Mavericks will remain in Pueblo for the weekend, facing Newman in another neutral-site game on Sunday.
